Tag Archives: Penn Center

Jayn de Gullah/Geechee at de 39th Annual Heritage Days Celebration!

Hunnuh chillun, bring friends and de famlee and jayn we pun historic St. Helena Island, SC November 9-11, 2023! The 39th Annual Heritage Days Celebration will take place at Penn Center, Inc. Come engage in the continuing stand for justice while being a part of one of the largest Black celebrations in the southeast.

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Nature Walk on Historic St. Helena Island in the Gullah/Geechee Nation

Join the community of historic St. Helena Island in sustaining the environment and their cultural heritage. Be a part of the nature walk and then join in Gullah/Geechee Agroculture Day.

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Gullah/Geechee Cultural Protection Overlay District Supporters File Court Motions

On August 3, 2023 during “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week,” four groups filed independent motions to intervene to defend Beaufort County’s denial of plans for three (3) 6-hole golf courses on St. Helena Island in the appeal initiated by Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC. The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition (filed by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project), The Penn Center (represented by Jack Smith of Nelson Mullins), Coastal Conservation League (represented by Ross Appel of McCullough Khan Appel), and individual landowners Leon and Joan Heyward and Robert New are fighting to uphold the Cultural Protection Overlay District zoning law.

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Gullah/Geechee Drums of Freedom Beating During Summer 2023

The dancing and shouting will continue during Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week on this resilient Gullah/Geechee Nation coast and we pray that you will join us here this summer in celebration of freedom in our powerfilled nation!

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Celebrate St. Helena Island’s Gullah/Geechee Cultural Protection Overlay District Saturday, May 27th!

We STOOD UP for Gullah/Geechee people, self-sufficiency, cultural heritage, and rural lands. We STRENGTHENED the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay!

We thank you for joining this fight for the soul of our sea islands. Now, we invite you to celebrate a victory by attending the celebration on Saturday, May 27th!

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Celebrating St. Helena De Gullah/Geechee Epicenter

Interestingly enough, I never drew the connection between helping write and establish the Cultural Protection Overlay District law and the fact that it took place the same year that I made world history by taking the human rights of my people before the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland until I just typed out the year. I did reflect on the fact that on my UN anniversary this year (April 1st), I was leading the “Coastal Cultures Conference” and sitting amongst national leaders focused on assisting with protecting the rich environment of St. Helena Island and helping the island to be even more resilient. The Gullah/Geechee Nation Sustainability Plan calls for us to ensure that the mission of the Gullah/Geechee Nation is adhered to and that we protect our people by enhancing their quality of life. We can only do this by protecting and improving the land and water quality and lessening the stress of them having to fight to keep protecting themselves and their homeland. Yet, as our ancestors did, we find ourselves on a battlefield once again protecting our rights as was done during the US Civil War, the Jim Crow Era and the Civil Rights Movement. I am proud to be in the number leading the human rights movement!

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Gullah/Geechee Gwine On! Don’t Miss #GullahGeechee2020 March Events!

Mek sho fa jayn de Gullah/Geechee Famlee een March! #GullahGeechee2020

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Penn Center Heritage Days Supported by the #GullahGeechee Community

I expected to travel to Hilton Head to celebrate with the Bluffton-Hilton Head MLK Observance Committee and the Gullah/Geechee Famlee at the “2nd Annual Black Excellence Ball” and embrace Dr. Amir Jamal Toure for receiving the “Social Justice Award” and Mr. Thomas Barnwell, who is a former board member for Penn Center, Inc., for receiving the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” I did not expect to not only receive my award, but also to scream at the top of my lungs when the “Penn Center Heritage Days Celebration” won the “Best Community Event Award.”

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Celebrate Gullah/Geechee Black History

The schedule of “#GullahGeechee2020: Seein Gullah/Geechee Culcha Clearly” events launches with the celebration of Black History Month.

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Celebrations of Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage and Continuation

“Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month” was filled with inspirational and educational events and activities.   The citizens of the Gullah/Geechee Nation never restrict the celebration of who they are to one month.  Instead, they celebrate the continuation of their cultural heritage all year long.  To that end, the month of November is filled with celebrations of this rich cultural legacy.

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